Podtrac, a leader in podcast advertising and podcast measurement for podcasters and advertisers today announced the Podtrac Superlatives, the highest performing podcasts in major data categories. Podtrac also announced new measurement statistics and measurement accuracy protection. Mark McCrery Podtrac's CEO and Co-Founder is speaking on ARF's panel "Emerging Media Measurement Challenges" today at the Millennium Hotel in New York.

Podtrac Superlatives reveal the highest performers for major data categories

Podtrac Superlatives is a new framework for recognizing high performers of audio and video podcasts in categories relevant to advertising strategy development. The following are the leading podcasts in each of four major categories:

Most Listened to on a Portable Device (Audio Podcast) BritPod (comedy podcast - audio) 86% listen on a portable device

Preferred Devices For Listening and Viewing

According to Podtrac's Audience InsightsSM Surveys of podcast listeners and viewers, several podcasts are much more likely to be viewed or listened to on a portable device versus on a PC. The average listening and viewing habits for audiences across all podcasts from Podtrac's most recent data are: 52% on an MP3 player or iPod, 45% on a PC and 3% on a pocket PC, PSP, cell phone or other portable device.

"There are a number of factors which contribute to the portable and online consumption habits of various podcasts including content, length, demographics and consumer interface," said Mark McCrery, CEO and Co-Founder of Podtrac. "When comparing two iTunes Top 100 video podcasts with similar demographics, "Ask A Ninja" is a 2 to 3 minute podcast which lends itself to quick online viewing whereas "Channel Frederator" is a 10 to 15 minute video podcast which lends itself to more portable device consumption -- users can multi-task on their PCs while their video iPods or PSPs are downloading the podcast for consumption later on the go."

"Data such as portable versus online PC viewing is important data to use in the planning process when considering the most effective advertising strategies for an advertising campaign. Some podcast advertising strategies call for engaging consumers on the go through their iPods when they cannot reach them through other media. Other campaigns look to interact with consumers online through highly targeted podcaster content when consumers have the opportunity to respond to a promotion," said McCrery.

Measurement to Ensure U.S. Audience for Advertisers and Podcasters

"Most U.S. brands have advertising budgets, in support of advertising objectives, within the U.S., so having accurate, timely, measurement of the U.S. podcast audience is important for advertisers to spend their ad dollars wisely," said Robert Freeland, CTO and Co-Founder of Podtrac. "It's critical for podcasters and advertisers to have reliable podcast measurement data to get the greatest return from podcast advertising."

Podtrac Measurement also provides a passive measurement service of podcast activity available to any podcast to determine the variations in podcast viewing and listening by country. For many podcasts, 75% of podcast listeners and viewers come from the U.S. However, some of the most popular podcasts have as many as 50% of listeners or viewers coming from countries outside the U.S.

Podtrac Measurement Complies with Microsoft BITS

Podtrac measurement service is also compliant with the Microsoft BITS distribution network. Microsoft BITS is a mechanism for distributing video files, such as podcasts, which can cause traditional measurement systems that are not optimized for podcasts, or not designed to accommodate this new protocol, to significantly over count download activity by as much as 175 to 1. Podtrac's Measurement Service has supported Microsoft BITS since its inception.

"With the thousands of podcasts working with Podtrac, we have the ability to quickly recognize the anomalies coming from an ever-increasing introduction and fragmentation of audio and video media applications and protocols like BITS," said Freeland. "We quickly address these issues from a measurement and analysis perspective so that advertisers and podcasters always have the most accurate picture of podcast activity and podcast advertising delivery."

About Podtrac

Podtrac's services for podcasters and advertisers provide the first complete system for podcast advertising insertion and podcast measurement. Podtrac has developed the largest database of podcast demographics worldwide representing more than 22 million U.S. podcast listeners and viewers. Podtrac is privately held with headquarters in Washington D.C. and an office in New York. For more information contact Podtrac at: www.podtrac.com.